Polypoid endometriosis with endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia mimicking malignancy: a rare case of a postmenopausal pelvic mass.
Austin T Jones, Charles M Quick, Monique A Spillman
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A postmenopausal woman was found to have an incidental complex adnexal mass with elevated tumor markers. She underwent bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and mass removal; frozen section favored endometriosis but raised concern for a serous borderline tumor, leading to staging. Permanent histopathology established polypoid endometriosis with areas of endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia. The case illustrates how this mass-forming condition can resemble malignancy clinically and intraoperatively, while definitive classification depends on final pathology.
What made this case unusual
The lesion contained endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia within polypoid endometriosis, a finding with premalignant implications relevant to postoperative estrogen management and surveillance.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
A postmenopausal pelvic mass with elevated tumor markers and concerning frozen-section findings may still represent polypoid endometriosis; permanent histopathology is needed for definitive diagnosis.